<p>Hello, I have followed various threads for info on the honors program at AU, but am still struggling to get a picture of it… To what extent is it really its own community within the university? Is it providing a truly challenging academic experience – something on a par with, say, Georgetown? Does it have a good advising system, so that students fully take advantage of what it has to offer?<br>
Thanks to any AU insider who can offer insights on this.</p>
<p>I’m not an AU student, but I have been accepted into the honors program for the class of 2013 and attended freshman day last friday and the honors program information session.</p>
<p>To me, it looks like a big part of the community. There are honors floors, an honors lounge, and honors advisors. You also have to take 10 honors classes before graduation, so freshman normally take two a semester. Those classes are only open to honors students and are more challenging and in-depth than other classes.</p>
<p>I got a really strong sense of community and support in the honors program. I’m saying yes to American and the honors program- hope to see you there this fall!</p>
<p>I went on a tour yesterday at AU, and my tour guide seemed to be jealous of Honors students because they got a lot of perks. I’m not sure how to feel about this!</p>
<p>I’m a current AU student, formerly in the honors program. The honors program offers quite a few resources for students, and can be a community in the sense that honors housing, lounges, etc. make it easy to make friends with other honors students and spend more time with them. I wouldn’t say it’s a community <em>apart</em> from the rest of AU – think of it as being an AU student but with extra resources.</p>
<p>From my experience, honors counselors are very helpful in terms of planning honors courses and capstones, as well as general academic or personal issues. However, you’ll still use the same academic advisors as non-honors students (both designated academic advisors and faculty advisors).</p>
<p>^why aren’t you in the honors program anymore?</p>
<p>The honors program is strongly geared toward political science, social sciences, and international studies – outside of lower-level Gen Eds, most of the non-recurring 300-level “honors colloquia” are in one of those subjects. I took some great (challenging) Gen Eds in the honors program as a freshman. </p>
<p>But, I ended up in the art department – and the only way to complete the honors requirements would be to do about six “honors supplements” on regular classes, which just bolsters the difficulty by adding extra components to assignments. I decided it wouldn’t be worth it, since I wouldn’t be getting any of the benefits of being in real honors classes – just doing more work. It was a good call, I think.</p>
<p>Anyway, it’s too bad the honors program doesn’t extend into other disciplines more. But if you’re in any program that is covered significantly under the honors program, I think it could be really fantastic.</p>
<p>Oh noez. I’ll be in honors come fall, and I’m hoping to do bio at AU. I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of science related honors classes at upper-level?</p>